Destroyer War Badge

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Foundation-based execution of the destroyer war badge

The Destroyer War Badge was donated on June 4, 1940 by the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Grand Admiral Erich Raeder , and could initially only be awarded to crew members of the Narvik destroyer group .

Foundation decree

The foundation decree on the destroyer war badge was published in the Reichsgesetzblatt on June 4, 1940. Its full wording was:

  1. Before Narvik and on many a daring voyage against England, the destroyers have achieved immortal fame under the leadership of their brave Commodore Bonte . In honor of these deeds and as an incentive for the young crew, I order the introduction of a destroyer war badge.
  2. The badge is awarded by the FdZ .
  3. The badge can be awarded to the crew members of the destroyers deployed in Narvik. I reserve the right to authorize the awarding of this badge to crew members of other destroyers, torpedo boats and speedboats due to special achievements.
  4. The badge is worn with the uniform like the 1939 submarine war badge in and out of service

Award terms

The conditions for awarding the Destroyer War Badge of September 11, 1940 were:

  • I. General Conditions
    • Worthiness
    • good leadership
    • no arrest sentence in the last 6 months
  • II. Special conditions
    • a) Participation in three skirmishes or three offensive mining companies or twelve enemy companies or
    • b) special award when driving in the operating area or other outstanding individual deeds or
    • c) Participation in an outstanding company as decided by the fleet chief or the commanding admiral. The crews of the destroyers deployed in Narvik do not need to meet any special award conditions.
  • III. The badge can also be awarded:
    • a) to survivors of a boat that was lost to enemy action, or
    • b) in special cases to the wounded.

Addendum to the award conditions of August 12, 1940

In recognition of the outstanding achievements of the speedboats, I order that the destroyer war badge can now also be awarded to speedboat crews who have proven themselves in attacks against the enemy. The badge is awarded to speedboat crews by the torpedo boat leader.

Addendum to the award conditions of October 22, 1940

In recognition of the deeds performed by the torpedo boats, I order that the Destroyer War Badge can be awarded to torpedo boat crews who have particularly proven themselves in attacks against the enemy.

Addendum to the award conditions of April 7, 1942

On the 2nd anniversary of the occupation of Norway, the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy ordered the following extension of the award: ... that in recognition of the paramount importance of the company and in recognition of the daring efforts of all battleships and cruisers involved, the Norwegian company is to be regarded as a particularly successful undertaking within the meaning of the award conditions for the destroyer war badge . This means that all participants (crew members) in the occupation of Norway on the battleships and cruisers listed below have met the award conditions for the Destroyer War Badge:

Addendum to the award conditions of May 30, 1942

By order of May 30, 1942, the High Command of the Navy ordered that the awarding of the destroyer war badge to crew members of speedboats was excluded. The background to this was the introduction of a separate war badge for their crews, the Schnellboot War Badge .

Addendum to the award conditions of October 4, 1943

With the aforementioned ruling, a tightening of letter a) of the special conditions was published. Its full wording is:

  • a) Participation in 3 skirmishes or three offensive or six defensive mining operations in the enemy detection area or six enemy operations with weapon success or six extensive special escorts or twelve other operations. The extended conditions come into effect retrospectively from the beginning of the 5th year of the war.

Appearance

The oval badge made of tombac bronze (later Feinzink) shows in the middle a destroyer moving quickly to the left with a strong bow wave. The destroyer is surrounded by an oak wreath and shows on its upper side the emblem of the Navy, an eagle with outspread wings, which holds an upside-down swastika in its claws . The design came from the graphic artist Paul Casberg from Berlin . For the stylized destroyer in the war badge, Casberg used the destroyer Z21 Wilhelm Heidkamp . This was recognizable by the Klipperberg and the shape of the artillery control station.

Carrying method

The destroyer war badge was worn as a plug-in badge on the left side of the chest in and out of service with all uniforms of the Wehrmacht. It could also be worn with all party and state uniforms. A reduced form (16 mm needle) of the award on the left lapel of the skirt was allowed to go with bourgeois clothing. A corresponding miniature pendant to the tailcoat chain was allowed on special occasions.

Destroyer war badge with diamonds

After the award of the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross , it was customary in the Navy to award the corresponding battle badge with diamonds that had previously been awarded. However, it is not mentioned in the relevant literature or in other publications that a destroyer war badge with diamonds was planned or awarded at all. This is due to the fact that none of the eligible bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross from destroyer crews achieved the oak leaf award. For the sake of completeness, however, the knight's cross bearers with the destroyer war badge should be mentioned:

Others

According to the law on titles, medals and decorations of July 26, 1957, wearing the version of the Third Reich in the Federal Republic of Germany is only permitted without National Socialist emblems.

literature

  • Klaus D. Patzwall : The awards of the Kriegsmarine 1939–1945. Taking into account the merchant marine (= awards of the German Reich. Vol. 5, ZDB -ID 2293736-5 ). Militair-Verlag Patzwall, Norderstedt 1987.
  • Heinrich Doehle : The awards of the Greater German Reich. Orders, decorations, badges. 4th edition. Berliner Buch- und Zeitschriften-Verlag, Berlin 1943, pp. 94-95 (reprint. Melchior-Verlag, Wolfenbüttel 2008, ISBN 978-3-939791-93-5 ).

Individual evidence

  • Marine Ordinance Sheet 1940, Issue 24, Page 393, Item 365
  • Marine Ordinance Sheet 1940, Issue 35, Page 730, Item 670